It’s one of the hottest debate topics egg-chasing has to offer.
Given we live in something of a green goldfish bowl on these Irish shores, there’s no harm getting input from elsewhere. And so we have the HarpinOnRugby Lions Selector Panel, made up of one fan from each nation, with even the Irish panellist based abroad.
They have each already given their preseason picks, time to start basing them on this season’s form. This week for our Welsh panellist Hywel Davies has another look at his selection.
Right, two games in have I seen anything to change my mind?
This was my original XXII:
15- 9 Halfpenny, Strettle, Roberts, Tuilagi, Earls, Sexton, Phillips.
1-8 Jenkins, Cronin, Jones, Gray (c) Evans, Lydiate, O'Brien, Tipuric.
16-22 Healy, Best, Ryan Jones, Ferris, Webb, Farrell, Kearney.
I don't think we have learned that much from the first two games to be honest, but still I have amended my team:
IN
14 George North. He looks hungry for the line. I am a sceptic and almost allergic to hype, but you can't deny that if he's fit, on form and in the zone, he is like a wrecking ball in midfield and close to the line.
11 Tim McVisser. You can't deny his scoring record. We have not seen enough. Does he have the football for Lions rugby? I am still not convinced, but how else will we find out? The most precarious of selections.
10 Ian Madigan. The Irish selection policy is strangling young talent at provincial and national level. This guy is a star. Keep your "game management", give me a natural attacker at outside half every time, especially down under.
16 Ken Owens. The Sheriff has always had the physicality but is developing the maturity. I think he smells the chance of being top dog and usurping the incumbent at club level. If he does that there's no holding him back. He should study the video of Llanelli Scarlets v Munster in the HC quarter final in 07/08 to see why Rees is (was) rated.
19 Aaron Shingler. The perfect bench player. OK, there's not enough of him to get a start, but he'll get about in defence and attack and is an athlete and a footballer.
20 Tavis Knoyle. The surprise package of this season for me so far. He gives you what Phillips gives you with a better pass. He just needs to work on his vision, but then again so does big Mike.
21 Jonathan Sexton. Bet hedging if I'm wrong about the attacking outside half!
22 Williams. No not JPR, Liam "Sanjay" Williams (If I could guarantee not being sued get I'd question whether there was a blood tie, but I can't, so I won't) I saw him first in the Low Value cup thrashing of Leicester at Parc Y Scarlets the day we lost to France in the World Cup. He had attitude in buckets and a thirst to attack and score. He raised my spirits that day and has ever since. A "bolter" in the making.
I won't commit to not resurrecting some of those discarded.
The most interesting thing for me now though is the choice of back room staff to go with Gatland.
I wouldn't have gone for Gatland in the first place, but now that they have I would suggest:
Edwards - defence
Feek - forwards
O' Shea - backs
Jenkins - kicking.
Hywel (@HywelV2) is head Rugby writer on the v2 Journal. He will never tire of telling you he was in school with one Shane Williams. One of those people who listened to his parents, he got a 'proper job' and is now a Partner in a firm of Solicitors. He also finds time to be a part time farmer and is married with a young daughter. He is a product of the Rugby tradition of the West Wales coalfield. If you don't know what that means, rest assured, he'll tell you!
Hywel’s selections means there are a couple of changes to the HoR Composite Lions XV, follow this link to see how the team stacks up. He’ll be back in four weeks to let us know if he has any more changes to make, next week it’s the turn of our Scottish panellist Kirsten Bruce.
